Field Education  

Senior students in the Social Work program complete a two-semester field placement in which they spend two days (14 hours) a week in one of the many community agencies that provide services to children, adults, and families. Student placements are made by the Assistant Director of Field Education at the Lehman College Department of Social Work; students may not find their own placements. Fieldwork must be completed at the assigned agency during regular working hours; evening and weekend placements are rarely available. If an evening or weekend placement is available, students may complete 7 hours a week of their placement during the evening or weekend; the other 7 hours per week must be completed during regular work hours Mondays through Fridays.

The following community service agencies are among those that provide fieldwork placements:

Please refer to the main Undergraduate Social Work Program page for more information or you can download the Undergraduate Social Work Student Handbook and Field Education Manual here.

Fieldwork

As noted in the different Track descriptions, an integral part of social work education is the completion of 1,200 internship hours. Depending on which Track you choose will determine how you will distribute your hours through your course of studies. Please refer to the main MSW page for more information or you can download the MSW Student Handbook and Field Education Manual here.

Prior to the start of the Fall semester, an Orientation for MSW Fieldwork Instructors new to Lehman College is held at the College. This is an opportunity to become familiar with the Program’s expectations of the field placement, as well as to meet the Faculty Field Advisors and other Fieldwork Instructors.  Fieldwork Instructors who have been with the Program are also invited to refresh their understanding of the Program, learn about any changes in the Program, renew acquaintances, and assist new Fieldwork Instructors.

A Seminar in Field Instruction (SIFI) course for Fieldwork Instructors of graduate Social Work students is required for all MSW Fieldwork Instructors who have not yet completed it.  A SIFI course is offered each year at Lehman College.  Please contact the Director of Field Education (718-960-7749) for information. New Fieldwork Instructors working with students from school other than Lehman are also invited to attend, if space is available. In addition, workshops will be held at Lehman College throughout the year for Fieldwork Instructors who have completed a SIFI but who are new to Lehman College.

Lehman’s Field Education Department is pleased to provide workshops for all fieldwork instructors throughout the academic year. These sessions focus on relevant topics for supervising students, including ways to help interns with writing skills or understanding roles and boundaries within an agency.  These workshops are open to fieldwork instructors of both undergraduate and graduate students.

For 2009-2010 specific workshop dates, please refer to the Fieldwork Calendar.